In the Philippines, GMA-7 Network’s 'AlDub', sometimes known as MaiDen, a fictional supercouple/power couple, a segment of the noontime show Eat Bulaga captures its Filipino audience, turning it an overnight phenomenon on both television and social media, which greatly caused the rise of the already very popular show's ratings. In fact its September 26 episode shows a global trend reaching the highest tweets on Twitter so far with 25.6 million tweets in just a day. Because of this segment, Eat Bulaga reaches Pacquiao-level rating for AlDub's first date, placing the 36-year-old program in rarefied air, as it has arrived at the level of Pacquiao fights. Pacquiao's fight against Mayweather last May, which was simulcast over three different networks, drew a 28.4 rating on GMA-7, 12.7 on ABS-CBN, and 3.3 on TV5 a total rating of 44.4. That was just 1.3 points higher than Eat Bulaga's Saturday episode.
With
this new concept (a concept of a segment on a noontime show that I never
witness since my childhood) that draws the viewers to laugh and cry without
inhibition catches even the Catholic Bishop's Cenference of the Philippines who
joined in the fund supporting the noble cause of spreading virtue, values and morality that the nation deserves.
“AlDub”
is a merged names of TV personalities Alden Richards and Yaya Dub, the
character of accidental television celebrity Maine Mendoza Philippine's,
Dubsmash Queen, who has become the current favorite of Eat
Bulaga’s millions of fans. They are launched as love team through a running
soap opera-like “Kalye-serye” (street series) that is brought to different
barangays six days a week since July 16 of this year.
This
Saturday September 26, 2015, Eat Bulaga started a hashtag for its episode
wherein Richards, following traditional Filipino rites of courtship, was
allowed to formally court Yaya Dub and the episode reached a record-breaking,
beating rival network ABS-CBN that also put up their own gimmick via noontime
show, "Showtime".
Noon-time
show viewers adore the tandem not because of its commercialism but evidently
everyone can relate to the images of love and culture they’re sharing in every episode.
Clifford
Sorita, operations manager of Radio Veritas and professor of sociology at the Philippine Women's University says, that Filipino viewers can relate, for example, to the ‘power-play’
of a heartless old woman who attempts to rule over this underprivileged and
helpless maiden, who in turn, hopes that her handsome prince will take her and
keep his promise of love and live happily ever after. He added that many sense
hope from the love team because it emerges to be a “diamond in the rough.”
The
AlDub couple have yet to meet face-to-face for the first time, exchanging
dialogues through dubbing audio samples of well-liked songs, movies, TV series
and handwritten messages on screen through show's split screen frame. They
finally met up for the first time on September 5, 2015 after their individual performances in Bulaga Pa More.
Conceptualized as a short opera parody pegged as KalyeSerye
(Street Series ) incorporated within "Juan for All, All for Juan"
segment known for its natural, unscripted and spontaneity as a big part of
its charm, the show runs from its
original 30-minute appearance to approximately 45 minutes brought by audiences’ positive reception,
which features the art of improvisation
on live television from the AlDub supercouple graced together with comedians Wally Bayola (asLola Nidora and his different characters) who’s
highly commended for his performance, Jose Manalo who’s competitive
enough in natural comedy that would lock someone’s jaw (as Frankie Arinoli,
Tinidora and his different characters), and Paolo Ballesteros (as Tidora and his different portrayals), whose versatility
is developed each appearances . Evidently, the show
contributes a huge significance to their careers not only to the tandem but to
the last three.
Richard
Reyes Faulkerson, Jr., also known by the stage name Alden Richards, after
filming the miniseries Ilustrado (2014) joined Eat Bulaga in 2015 as a host for
a month-long trial period, hosting various segments such as "Pak Na
Pak" and later, "That's My Bae" paired with Indian-Filipino
radio disc jockey Sam YG. He failed in
an audition for StarStruck and Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash of 2010 under his
real name. His fame has further skyrocketed not only because of daily TV exposure
as a mainstay co-host, but also because of the formation of an accidental love
team between him and his Eat Bulaga co-host Maine "Yaya Dub" Mendoza.
On 2014, he became an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity Philippines which he embraces as an opportunity to
become a voice of change and to help fellow Filipinos who cannot afford a
decent home. On January 12, 2015, he hosted a "birthday build" at
Bistekville 1 site in Payatas, Quezon City to spend the morning building homes with
other volunteers, and hold a party alongside Habitat home partner families.
Likewise, he has been part of several GMA Network's telethons which aims to
raise funds for typhoon relief and also part GMA Network's 2014 Christmas
campaign, Share the Love, where he chose children with cancer as his
beneficiary.
On
the other hand, Nicomaine Dei Capili Mendoza, popularly known as Maine Mendoza
or Yaya Du who was born on March 3, 1995 in Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines),
is a Filipina internet celebrity, comedienne, and television personality.
Gaining popularity for posting Dubsmash videos in different social media
platforms, she auditioned for the
program after catching the attention of its producers. The latter joined the
cast in July 2015, playing the role of a
lawyer for Eat Bulaga 's "Juan for All, All for
Juan" segment but was finally cast as Yaya Dub (Divina ursula Bukbukova Smash), a nanny for comedian Wally Bayola's Lola Nidora character. Maine finished her bachelor's degree in
Culinary Arts at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde and had her on-the-job
training for her profession at The Sagamore in Bolton Landing, New York. Her
career took off after she started posting Dubsmash compilation on
Facebook, impersonating Kris Aquino
which turned to be viral with one million views overnight. This earned her the
title "Queen of Dubsmash" in the Philippines and unlock more
opportunities for her. She had the opportunity on a joint force with many other
Dubsmashers and met Kris Aquino herself.
Reputed
for her Dubsmash prowess, Yaya Dub only communicates in the series through
vocal dubbing and was initially portrayed as the snobbish Yaya Dub. While on the show (July 16,2015 episode),
Yaya Dub’s instant road to stardom started to shine when she was caught in a
“tickled pink” moment while watching Richard on the show’s live split screen,
which hinted Eat Bulaga’s producers to formulate an on screen couple. Mike Tuviera, a resident director for
the show, disclosed that the tandem was created by accident.
Incorporated in the running gags and story lines throughout the
parody are the "Pabebe Wave" (a deviation of a beauty queen wave
gesture) between Alden and Yaya Dub, Lola Nidora lobbying for a pairing between
Yaya Dub and Frankie (merging its names into "YaKie"), Lola Nidora
issuing labor challenges to Alden, and the incompetency of the numerous
Rogelios, Lola Nidora's bodyguards. The KalyeSerye's main storyline is the
Cinderella-like outlawed courtship between the AlDub tandem, with its supreme
target being the first physical meeting involving the two, a move repeatedly
contradicted by Lola Nidora.
Art the peak of one’s success whether it’s individual or group,
people remain divided in terms of acceptance. A few others treat the show as a
cheap show which is itself a sin because no one can buy one’s happiness that
she/he enjoys on a simple platform of entertainment that is affordable for the
greatest crowd, as the Scripture says, “Do not deprive each other, except perhaps by
mutual consent for a time, to be free for prayer, but then return to one
another, so that Satan may not tempt you through your lack of
self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:5)
Enjoyment through leisure is not a sin. However, one should be attentive to the
principle that God has designed for pious living when engaging in
entertainment, as the Scripture says, “And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.” (Colossians 3;17).
Although God never
says, “Thou shall not have fun” or thou shall not smile in all your days”, any
relaxation, fun, entertainments should always be pleasing to God.
Things like watching TV, food, wine, money, etc., are morally
neutral. Wine, for example, is neither good nor evil, but on how humans do with
it that makes it so. Saint Paul highlights that “,Now food will not bring us
closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, nor are we better off if
we do. (1 Corinthians 8:8). Another significant instruction follows after which
pertaining to all activities including fun and entertainment when he points
out, “But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling
block to the weak.” (1 Corinthians 8:9).
Human’s
freedom to relax and enjoy should never cause others to trip up in their faith.
For example, it is inconsiderate to prepare roast pork to a guest who’s a Muslim. By example, St. Paul modeled flexibility in
this aspect, when he says,
“Although
I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over
as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those
under the law I became like one under the law - though I myself am not under
the law - to win over those under the law. To those outside the law I became
like one outside the law - though I am not outside God's law but within the law
of Christ - to win over those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, to
win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” ( 1 Corinthians 9;19-22)
Likewise,
God does not want to be under the influence of unbelievers. She/he may
associate with them, as Jesus did when He sat at dinner with sinners and tax
collectors, but should not be influenced by them. Paul writes, “Do not be yoked
with those who are different, with unbelievers. For what partnership do
righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with
darkness? What accord has Christ with Beliar? Or what has a believer in common
with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
“Recreation” means to “re-create” or “renew,”
and God allows to utilize this time to be renewed and to grow in our faith.
Likewise James re-echoes that , “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.” (James 1:17). Thus, Leisure that can be enjoyed
through fun and entertainment are gifts of God as a conduit to be closer to
Him.
In
conclusion, "Aldub" provides hope and values to their viewers and therefore a significant outlet for diversion. Despite of the
life’s ups and downs, people don't want to be on a hopeless phase and by
watching this show they can forget those predicaments bordering them.
References:
- Adriannne Acar, Yaya Dub’s siblings react on her kilig 'home-date' with Alden Richards last Saturday, http://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/shows/eatbulaga/articles/2015-09-28/18912/Yaya-Dubs-siblings-react-on-her-kilig-home-date-with-Alden-Richards-last-Saturday
- Jessica Bartolome, Eat Bulaga reaches Pacquiao-level rating for AlDub's first date, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/538384/showbiz/chikaminute/eat-bulaga-reaches-pacquiao-level-rating-for-aldub-s-first-date
- Bea Montenegro, AlDub breaks the Internet with record 25.6 million tweets, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/538713/hashtag/aldub-breaks-the-internet-with-record-25-6-million-tweets
- Rachelle Siazon, PEP, Wally Bayola highly commended for his performance in Eat Bulaga's Kalyeserye, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535780/showbiz/pep/wally-bayola-highly-commended-for-his-performance-in-eat-bulaga-s-kalyeserye
- John Paolo Bencito, ‘Aldub’ catches fire on Twitter, Sep. 27, 2015 at 12:01am, http://manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/2015/09/27/-aldub-catches-fire-on-twitter/
- http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-fun-entertainment.html, "What does the Bible say about fun and entertainment?"
- New American Bible, http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/_INDEX.HTM
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